After the deadly passage of Cyclone Chido on the Mayotte archipelago, relief and reinforcements are being organized to help the population.
A race against time. Two days after the deadly passage of Cyclone Chido on Mayotte, leaving the island devastated, reinforcements continue to be organized. An air and sea bridge was deployed on Sunday from the island of Reunion, a French department located 1,400 kilometers as the crow flies.
This air bridge, which therefore ensures a connection between the two islands, allows the sending of equipment, medical and relief personnel to Mayotte, but also water and food. The first Civil Security planes arrived on Sunday on the stricken island.
800 members of Civil Security sent to the site
The airport of the island, almost cut off from the world, was greatly damaged by the passage of Cyclone Chido, in particular its control tower. With the exception of military flights via the airlift from Reunion, the airport is closed until further notice. That of Reunion therefore serves as a relay and stage for any shipment from France to Mayotte.
On light tactical transport, also of people and cargo.
The Dash was “prepositioned on the island of Reunion for the forest fire season”, then “reconfigured to allow the transport of materials and personnel to Mayotte”, explains Civil Security on X, announcing the deployment of a second plane of the same type.
In total, 800 Civil Security people were sent to the site as reinforcements thanks to the airlift developed with Reunion Island, with a field hospital and satellite transmission equipment. 110 firefighters and rescuers were already mobilized, Civil Security announced in a press release on Sunday.
These personnel “participate in rescue-clearance operations, health and logistical support”, it is explained in the same document.
The support system relies on a total of three aircraft and two military ships, according to the general staff of the armed forces. The main missions are the search for survivors, the clearing of infrastructure and ensuring the delivery of food and water for the population.
The search for survivors is an “absolute priority”
“The next minutes, the next hours are very important,” underlines Colonel Jouassard, spokesperson for Civil Security, deputy head of the operational center for interministerial crisis management, guest on Télématin. According to him, it is still possible to rescue survivors by sending reinforcements there thanks to the airlift.
This Monday, a large part of the island was still not accessible, the roads being cut. This makes it a little more difficult to estimate the human toll from Cyclone Chido. “We sent specialist personnel to search the rubble, what we call rescue-clearance. These teams are used to exploring these disaster zones,” explains Colonel Jouassard.
Finding survivors is “the absolute priority” of Civil Security sent to the site via the airlift. “The second work is that related to food, water transmission (…) we will have to strengthen this capacity,” adds the soldier.
Lucie Valais Journalist BFMTV
